Albanian-grown tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, strawberries and mandarins will be sold alongside Spanish produce

Albanian mandarins

Swiss retailer Coop has announced plans to import fruit and vegetables from Albania. CEO Philipp Wyss said contracts with Albanian producers are expected to be signed this spring, with tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, strawberries and mandarins among the products that will complement Spanish-grown produce in the future.

In an interview with Tamedia, Wyss explained that Coop was looking to source from alternative supplies as Spain consumes too much water. The retailer is also looking at other potential suppliers including Greece and Romania. In Romania, a third of the agricultural land lies fallow, but Wyss said acquiring larger plots of land is difficult because of the region’s history.